Ren fests are lots of fun. We have a local one run by a woman who is
also involved in the farmers' market. Unlike the big city fests, this
one is just one weekend, and there are no permanent buildings.
Minnesota has one of the best anywhere, in Shakopee near the Race
track and the Mystic Lake Casino.

We live next to a very large lake--Great Slave Lake, one of the ten
largest in the world by surface area, and one of the deepest. There is
a legend of a monster in the lake perhaps related to Nessie and
Ogopogo. So a local artist got hold of a pile of 2x4 billets and a
couple of pallets and built a model of Ol' Slavey as he is called. She
also put a stuffy monkey in his mouth!